Emergency declared in a return land incident.

Attributes
ACN	286905
Time
Date	199410
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB-110 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 620
ASRS Report	286905
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After a thorough preflight we departed dfw en route to cll. The captain was flying and I was the PNF. After completing the after takeoff checklist, the captain noted to me that the plane was not performing normally. We then heard noise from the left engine and saw that the cowling was coming loose. He slowed the aircraft, we declared an emergency and returned to land at dfw without further incident. I think the problem was caused by worn fasteners on the engine cowling and this problem could have been avoided with using newer equipment than that of the emb-100. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after the aircraft had returned to dfw, the first question the mechanics asked the first officer was, 'did you check the cowling on the preflight?' the answer was, 'of course I did.' the reporter stated that a new cowling was required, so he did not stay around for the installation of that. The next day, he talked to the crew who had flown the same aircraft and they told him that, after arriving at their destination airport, 1 of the 6 fasteners had come loose. The fasteners are the snap-to-flush-close position type. Very hard to miss being open on a preflight. Reporter blames incident on aircraft age, aircraft being an emb-110.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED IN A RETURN LAND INCIDENT.

Narrative: AFTER A THOROUGH PREFLT WE DEPARTED DFW ENRTE TO CLL. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS THE PNF. AFTER COMPLETING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST, THE CAPT NOTED TO ME THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT PERFORMING NORMALLY. WE THEN HEARD NOISE FROM THE L ENG AND SAW THAT THE COWLING WAS COMING LOOSE. HE SLOWED THE ACFT, WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AT DFW WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I THINK THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY WORN FASTENERS ON THE ENG COWLING AND THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH USING NEWER EQUIP THAN THAT OF THE EMB-100. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER THE ACFT HAD RETURNED TO DFW, THE FIRST QUESTION THE MECHS ASKED THE FO WAS, 'DID YOU CHK THE COWLING ON THE PREFLT?' THE ANSWER WAS, 'OF COURSE I DID.' THE RPTR STATED THAT A NEW COWLING WAS REQUIRED, SO HE DID NOT STAY AROUND FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THAT. THE NEXT DAY, HE TALKED TO THE CREW WHO HAD FLOWN THE SAME ACFT AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT, AFTER ARRIVING AT THEIR DEST ARPT, 1 OF THE 6 FASTENERS HAD COME LOOSE. THE FASTENERS ARE THE SNAP-TO-FLUSH-CLOSE POS TYPE. VERY HARD TO MISS BEING OPEN ON A PREFLT. RPTR BLAMES INCIDENT ON ACFT AGE, ACFT BEING AN EMB-110.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.